


Winter Months

by sleepyjeesh



Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-21
Updated: 2013-12-21
Packaged: 2018-01-05 10:14:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1092693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleepyjeesh/pseuds/sleepyjeesh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even in a blizzard, Tim gets hot cocoa delivery service.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Winter Months

**Author's Note:**

> 'Tis the season. Set in the future with aged up Damian. Hope I did the characters justice.

The winter nights in Gotham are cold and bitter, much like Tim himself who grew up alongside such forlorn evenings. It was the dead of Christmas season, the temperature declining into the negative Celsius as crisp snow blanketed the streets. Working during the winter was always a strain on his body. The inescapable cold that seeped in through his armour, causing shivers down his body despite the insulated heat function. Frozen ice layered upon building tops, making manoeuvres tricky as he had to avoid slipping and sliding down normally secure surfaces. The whole landscape changed, like holding in its breath sidewalks and buildings would contract. But like the city itself, the residents also adjusted accordingly. The cold never deterred crime, so  he wouldn't allow it to affect him either.

But _damn_. It was a cold one today.

Of course, it didn't show on him as he perched stone still on a ledge just below the rooftop, seemingly just a mere statue blending in with the scenery. There was even an inch or so layer of white frost covering his mantle.

" _Cold yet_?" Tim heard Oracle chime in via intercom.

"You should've asked two hours ago, when I could still feel something," replied Tim. He'd been staking out a senator's penthouse for hours now. Watching a balding old man watch Christmas re-runs and down glasses of scotch. This was it. The peak of his career. The vigilante life he always pictured for himself.

"Any movement on your part?"

"Not unless you count thumbing the remote and getting up to go to the bathroom once. I think he's asleep now. Not dead. His breathing pattern's normal."

"Nothing on Cass's end either." She paused. "There's not much more I can do from my position. I'm afraid all we can do now is wait."

"Thanks for your hard work, Oracle."

"You've got the hardest end of the deal, kiddo. You've got to stake out in this blizzard until our culprit makes a move. While I'm sitting pretty here with a steaming mug of hot cocoa."

"Cocoa sounds like a dream," he breathed out, letting steamy air escape his lips.

"Hm. I could arrange for it to be a reality."

Tim arched a brow. "I didn't know we had bat delivery now."

"Well. Being you has its perks." Tim couldn't see her face, but she was probably smirking.

The wind was picking up as Tim kept himself wrapped up in his cape. About ten minutes passed when he heard boots landing in freshly lain snow above him.  

Tim didn't have to turn back and kept his binoculars up. "Try not to blow my cover with your blatant movements. I could hear you coming three blocks away."

He landed beside Tim on the decorated ledge. The first thing Tim noticed was the take-out tray with two cups in the other boy's hands. "Are you the local errand boy now?" He questioned.

"I was in the neighbourhood. Apparently your body cannot bear a little cold weather."

"Not that you care, right?" Tim drawled. With shaking hands, he took the proffered cocoa. "Thanks anyway, Robin."

Damian wordlessly watched the older boy. "How long have you been out here?"

Tim shrugged, using his teeth to pull up the lid flap. "A little over three hours."

"I mean outside. Not just this particular stake out."

Tim paused because he actually had to recall the last time he was inside. "Um. Since this morning? Roughly."

"Always the fool," mumbled Damian.

"A diligent fool. Who never fails to meet your expectations," he stated as warmth pooled into his stomach before dissipating back into his icy exterior. The hot cocoa made him wonder just how fast Damian had to travel to get it to him this fresh.

Damian took his own cup and pressed it against Tim's white cheek. Tim visibly flinched at the sudden contact, cringing like he just got burned. "Quit it. Why are you still here anyways? Shouldn't your errand have ended with this?" He said, swatting away at his hand.

"My errand also encompasses your well-being," Damian stated with a frown.

"Well my being is quite fine, so you can tell them to quit worrying. Just because I'm the only one with a relatively normal upbringing out of us, it doesn't mean I'm that much more fragile," he sniped while purposely avoiding clacking his teeth together.

"I doubt you will ever get Pennyworth off your case."

"Ah, well. Since it's Alfred, it can't be helped."

"So the butler is allowed to worry about you, but I am not?" Damian grouched.

Tim hummed. " _You_ have impure intentions. So it doesn't count."

"Even when it is negative twenty and the entire East coast is under an official storm watch?" Irritation prickled under his skin. He huffed, "I even brought you cocoa."

"Because Oracle told you to."

"In a _blizzard_."

"I can't go against Oracle's orders either. Which is why I'm here now."

Damian reached over and gently touched the side of Tim's mouth, the part of the mask that exposed his face. "You are going to die of hypothermia. Oracle would never force you into a task like this. I know you, this is just your typical stubbornness."

Tim turned and smiled slightly. Smiling made his frozen skin crack and he could only go so far. "If you know me so well, are you really going to try and stop me?"

Damian grumbled and Tim knew - already knew since the conversation with Oracle, that the brat gave in to his way. "I will _not_ be the one taking care of you if you get sick."

Tim scooted closer to Damian's body. There wasn't much body heat to be shared through the body armour and Kevlar, but it was nonetheless a comforting weight against his side. "I can take care of myself just fine."

A derisive snort. "Your body protests your notion," He said, leaning in and cupping Tim's ice cold face.

Tim rolled his eyes, which couldn't be seen under the white lenses. But Damian studied his body language enough to get it. "Robin, please. I am in the middle of a very important investigation."

They both turned to gaze across the street, through the tall window where they could see a lax senator reclining back as drool dribbled onto his shirt.

Damian arched his brows at Tim.

"Even the most thrilling cases have their mundane work," argued Tim.   

Damian chose to ignore him and started nipping at the edge of his jaw.

The warmth of the younger's breath tickled Tim to the very core, sending shivers down his entire body. He feebly tried to push away at Damian's forehead, resulting in the other simply grabbing his wrist and holding it there. " _Damian_ ," Tim breathed out, a bit annoyingly.

"Hm?"

"We're in the middle of a blizzard on a rooftop. As usual, your timing for romantic gestures couldn't be worse."

A hot tongue swept across Tim's chapped lips and _goddamn_ it might've been the cold that was getting to him but his head was feeling lighter. Tim unconsciously licked his own wetted lips.

"You said you were cold," mumbled Damian against Tim's skin. "I am rectifying that."

"Actually, your residue saliva just makes it colder after your mouth leaves."

The weird thing about all this was, they weren't even dating. Damian and Tim, they weren't an item, a couple, or whatever you label intimacy between two people. This was just a thing they did, just with the two of them and no one else. But it wasn't a relationship. There was no commitment, no promises, and really, that suited Tim just fine. Tim was just Damian's, and Damian was Tim's. Maybe Damian wanted more. Sometimes Tim could see it in the way the other boy looked at him in public. Sometimes Tim could feel it in the way Damian would entangle their fingers during patrol. Just for a brief moment before separating again. It was strange. There was claim, want, plenty of that which constituted a relationship. But there was always a block stopping them from moving further. And Tim had a feeling it was him.

It made him think.

"Hey. Boy Wonder," He thought aloud, staring into the night sky.

"What is it, Drake?" Damian thrummed at his chin.

"I was thinking. Gotham winters are pretty constant. Every year, it's the same long, dreary season. Dark. Cold. Ever since I was a child, it hasn't changed. In the future, I assume it'll remain the same, even if the people don't."

Damian pressed their foreheads together as their breath mingled. "Yes. Your point?"

Tim swallowed as his throat suddenly felt parched. "You know. I could use more of that great cocoa to get me through those future winters. If you want. It'd be nice if it could be a permanent thing. With everything moving in my life, I think having a single constant would be good for me." Tim reached over and squeezed Damian's gloved hand. "I'd like to keep this moment. Us. Together. Remaining frozen through the years."

Damian gripped back tightly, hopefully. "Winters are a recurrent matter."

"So be it," whispered Tim before pulling Damian into a -

" _Red Robin!_ " The sudden screech in his earpiece made Tim jerk back as he fumbled with the communicator. " Good news. We've got activity on Black Bat's end and she's engaging the culprit as we speak _._ That means your guy's clean and you're free to go. Red Robin?"

"Y - yeah, I read you. I'll uh - head back to the cave and write up my report."

"Alright, just don't push yourself. You've done more than enough. Go get some rest."

Tim cleared his throat. "Will do," he ended clearly before turning off the communicator. He turned back to Damian who was looking more than a little irate.

"Hey, it wasn't my fault. You knew I was in the middle of important work."

"I know. But I still hold you accountable for making it up to me."

Tim smiled. "We've got all winter."

Damian pulled him close as they stood up. "Tt. This is an year-long affair, Drake. Do not think I will settle for just four months. I am not some Greek Deity of the Underworld."

"Does that make me Persephone? Hm. Spring nymph isn't a good look on me. Well, we'll just have ourselves an eternal winter, won't we?"

"The world will have to deal."

"Exactly." 


End file.
